“This light pink delight delivers more intensity
than one might expect for so few dollars.”

Click image to enlarge

There are no seasonal restrictions when it comes to rosé at our house. We drink the stuff all year around. Rosé is versatile, and can be enjoyed with a wide range of food, or all by itself as a solo sipper. La Vieille Ferme, the entry level brand of Famille Perin, the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape fame, has been making good dry rosé for several years. The current vintage available in our neighborhood is 2021, and it’s good enough to rate a “Bastardo’s Best Buy” for exceptional QPR and availability.

2021 La Vieille Ferme Rosé, 13% alc., $8.99: This light pink delight delivers more intensity than one might expect for so few dollars. It’s all about mineral-driven strawberry and watermelon flavors on a medium-bodied frame, driven by brisk, balanced acidity. The finish lingers nicely, and I’m always game for a 2nd glass of this satisfying dry rosé. It’s a QPR All-Star and then some! A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah. Find this wine

La Vieille Ferme wines have been produced since 1970, and we’ve been drinking them for pretty much as long as they’ve been available in the greater Detroit market. The first few vintages weren’t that great, as I recall, but they upped their game in fairly short order to produce a solid, consistent line of everyday drinkers. My wife Kim refers to them as “porch pounders,” and all three of the wines reviewed here are great choices for serving at parties and events, considering the great QPR (quality-price-ratio) they offer. The current version white doesn’t quite qualify for a Bastardo’s Best Buy, but it’s close. (This can change from vintage to vintage. I remember years when the white was the best of the three blends noted here.)

2021 La Vieille Ferme Blanc, 13% alc., $8.99: Clean light-to-medium straw color, with pleasant enough, if not overly-generous, white stone fruit aromas. Things pick up nicely on the palate, where white peach and melon, underscored with a bit o’ mineral, take over, all medium-bodied and crisp like. Not quite as intense or impressive as the rosé, but quite pleasant for what it is, and it’s harder and harder to find a good $9 white these days. A QPR no-brainer, for sure. A blend of Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino. Find this wine

This is the first time we’ve tried the red blend in at least five years, because, frankly, the last few bottles weren’t strong enough to keep our interest. I’m pleasantly surprised to find this one to be more user-friendly.

2020 La Vieille Ferme Rouge, 13% alc., $8.99: Clean dark color, with a modest, but pleasant black plum and beetroot nose. Earthy flavors echo and expand on a full body, bolstered by an ample tannin/acid backbone to keep it going for at least the next year or two. If a red Rhone blend can be described as “claret-style,” I submit that this is a prime suspect. That means, in this case, quite dry, balanced and red meat friendly. A blend of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, and a solid value.Find this wine

La Vieille Ferme is imported by Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL

The front labels for these three are all exactly the same, so only the rosé appears above. The wines are made with Rhone varieties, but are labeled as Vin de France, meaning that they “could” come from anywhere in the country. These were all purchased from our friends at Holiday Market in Royal Oak, but are widely available in the area. I’ve sometimes seen them for less than the prices listed above, but I’ve seen them priced higher, as well. If anyone tries to charge you more than $10 a bottle, they’re gougers, in my not so humble opinion.

Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo

Home | Tasting Notes